 |
| Source: Well Go USA |
A Thai drama that pulls on your heartstrings by showing relatable family drama - How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is, despite the title, a likable piece on familial bonds and relationships, analyzing the differences between caring for others out of love versus their worth to society.
Based on initial inhibitions, the plot is down-to-earth, subversive, and immensely relatable. Given the film’s tight-knit focus, it’s easy to recognize the family dynamic it so wants to push onto audiences - there’s some good, some bad, and some oopsies when it comes to those we’re close to. A more restricted POV also helps when shooting the city streets and countryside of Thailand, making it feel realistically familiar and universal to most people. From selling congee to chemotherapy, Director Pat Boonnitipat views everything with a sincere lens, not over-dramatizing or building up events to gain false pity, having every scene flow naturally from one to the next. It never stops being emotionally connected to these relationships, and when it finally lets go, catacombs of regret, loss, and new beginnings remain.
Casting-wise, the biggest standout for me was easily Usa Semkhum as Mengju, the titular grandma of the film. As a debut performance, Usa does an excellent job of portraying a family patriarch who’s set in her ways but also has vast amounts of untold wisdom left to offer. With the script’s messaging, the slow and painful realization of Mengju’s health is told in a humanly honest way, with every emotion being captured seamlessly by Usa’s solemn magnetism, leaving audiences to wonder about how they too might feel about this sensitive topic. Putthipong Assaratanakul’s performance of M, a college dropout who is tight on cash, is also refreshing in the sense of what he eventually learns to become. A big part of his emotional journey is his learning to become more mindful and thoughtful towards spending time with others out of love, not of necessity, and to embrace responsibility through the simplest of actions.
Overall, How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies is heartwarmingly fresh in presenting the relationships we have with our loved ones and embracing the time left with them.
My Rating: 8/10 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿 🍿
Comments
Post a Comment